THE NATURE ROOM IN THE KINDERGARTEN: FOR STEAM ACTIVITIES AND CHILDREN'S JOY

Scientists and educators unanimously believe that developing children's understanding of nature is crucial from an early age. In light of this prevailing opinion and the contemporary aspects of children's education, educational establishments must update their preschool curricula. The revised curricula will identify science education as one of the key areas of education. Its purpose in pre-primary education is expanding to include modelling the context of exploration and deep learning. The latter is intended to "respond to children's natural curiosity, engaging them in exploration of the environment, leading to a deeper understanding of objects, phenomena and their relationships, and the discovery of different ways of knowing and learning. The context is playful and open to challenge, offering children plenty of freedom to speculate, find answers to their questions, and make decisions based on their explorations. Indoor and outdoor educational spaces, outdoor exploration laboratories with exploration objects, tools and materials, STEAM activities, and means of recording children's observations are created to help children engage in long-term observations and to experience the diversity of objects and phenomena in the environment" (Guidelines for the pre-primary education programme, 2023). Pakruojis Kindergarten "Saulutė" stands out with its unique conditions for developing scientific skills. The specific preschool education programme, "I like myself!", is the cornerstone of the educational process in this preschool institution. The model of education and development at Saulutė is centered around the child's freedom and right to choose. The unique structure of Saulutė, with five playrooms and six activity rooms, includes a nature room designed to respond to a child's natural curiosity. This article highlights the significance of this room in promoting STEAM activities and fostering children's joy. At kindergarten, "Saulutė", the rich and stimulating spaces of the nature room and other areas that encourage action and cognition are utilized for daily exchange and development. These spaces create contexts that stimulate communication, information sharing, social interaction, strong cognitive abilities, and artistic expression. The mission of the Nature Room, amidst this diversity, is to cultivate a curious child who can live in harmony with nature and grow in values. Keywords: science education, nature room, STEAM activities, preschool education